PECO Energy Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., completed a year-long evaluation of flame- resistant apparel for workers exposed to potentially dangerous electric arcs and fires, involving a combination of lab tests and field research. After examining and testing different materials, PECO found that the garments made from a Du Pont aramid fiber met its safety requirements and proved to be the most comfortable and durable of the fabrics tested. As a result of the investigation, a protective-apparel program has been implemented for the more than 1000 PECO Energy employees who risk injury from burns.

Criteria for the program included protection of employees from fire hazards, reinforcement of the company's corporate identity, compliance with U.S. federal regulations and industry standards - especially the U.S. Dept. of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) Final Rule 29 CFR Part 1910.269- and acceptance by employees of the mandatory protective apparel program. Organizing the Program

In the past, use of protective apparel was optional. Some workers chose to wear their own clothing, citing comfort, fit and convenience. However, after a five-year burn study of PECO Energy employees revealed that most severe second- and third-degree burns were the result of electrical incidents, the utility began looking more closely at the benefits of flame-resistant protective clothing.

At the same time, PECO Energy, which was formerly the Philadelphia Electric Co., advertised its new name, logo and company colors in its debut to the public as a renewal of its commitment to customer satisfaction. A continuing public relations campaign emphasized the dedication of the workforce to this commitment. As part of the campaign, management wanted all vehicular signage, as well as any organizational clothing, to reflect these values, reinforce PECO Energy's corporate identity and instill a sense of pride among employees.

In addition, the institution of a formal protective apparel program was motivated by the recently enacted federal standard OSHA 29 CFR Part 1910.269, "Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution," which requires that "the employer ... ensure that each employee who is exposed to the hazards of flames or electric arcs does not wear clothing that, when exposed to flames or electric arcs, could increase the extent of injury that would be sustained by the employee." Any clothing that will not ignite and continue to burn when exposed to an electric arc or flash fire satisfies the requirements of the standard. Finally, PECO Energy realized that any protective apparel program would need the "blessing" of employees if it were to be effective. Without this acceptance, the company risked being plagued with enforcement issues that could disrupt work routines.

Testing for Success In early 1994, PECO Energy assembled a team, which had a cross-functional view of the employee population, to explore the various options for protective apparel available to the electric utility industry. Of the numerous materials initially examined and tested, the team narrowed the field to two contenders, which were made up into full sets of uniforms for workers to use on the job and to compare for comfort, flexibility and appearance. The workers were asked to conduct side-by-side tests, mixing and matching shirts, pants and coveralls. The study of the uniforms took place during the months of May, June and July during one of the hottest summers on record in Philadelphia. On most days, temperatures exceeded 900F (330C) with humidity in excess of 85%. Although this environment was extremely uncomfortable for workers, it was ideal for evaluating the comfort of the protective apparel. The results revealed that the workers preferred the garments made from the aramid-fiber material. In addition, from a battery of bench and full-scale laboratory tests, the company found that the preferred fabric material was superior in terms of thermal protection, durability and cost effectiveness.

he Unveiling With better performance and wearer comfort established, PECO Energy selected garments of aramid fiber as its protective apparel of choice and, in the spring of 1995, established a new protective apparel program that was complete with a choice of styles and colors from which employees could pick and choose. Although the program offers five pre-selected wardrobes, more than 90% of the employees have created their own personal wardrobes by exercising their option to mix and match garments. The response has been overwhelmingly favorable among employees, who like having the opportunity to choose clothes that best suit their individual needs on the job. To further encourage employee acceptance of the new clothing, PECO Energy has embarked on a comprehensive, ongoing training program to educate workers about the benefits of flame-resistant protective apparel adopted by the company. In this training, more than 100 PECO Energy employees have witnessed instrumented mannequin testing and other thermal performance evaluations, including vertical flammability and thermal protective performance (TPP). This valuable experience enabled workers to see the effect of electric arcs and flash fires on protective clothing.

In June 1995, just 10 days after employees were fitted with protective garments, two employees were exposed to an electric arc as they worked underground in a manhole. This potentially deadly incident demonstrated what PECO Energy already believed: that flame-resistant clothing is the key to reducing body burn injury. In fact, medical professionals agreed that the clothing worn by the workers significantly reduced the extent of injuries.

Looking Ahead PECO Energy credits the success of its new program to two important factors. First, the company took great care to design a program that would become an integral component of its core businesses and not simply an add-on or a program-of-the-month. Second, employee involvement during the evaluation and implementation phases proved critical to the overall acceptance of the program.

In the future, PECO Energy will be the first utility to offer its employees hooded sweatshirts made from the flame-resistant fabric for additional warmth and thermal protection during fall and winter. Longer term, the utility plans to continue employee education on the importance of flame-resistant protective apparel and its contribution to the utility's overall safety-awareness program. Eventually, as the electric utility industry becomes even more adept at identifying, quantifying and understanding the hazards of electric arcs and flash fires, PECO Energy expects to adopt a systems approach for choosing protective apparel. This approach will rely on potential exposure levels to determine the appropriate level of protective layers needed. TDW

William A. Mattiford is manager of Corporate Industrial Hygiene & Safety at PECO Energy in Philadelphia, where he has worked for 28 years. He has been involved in safety for the past 17 years and is a Certified Safety Professional, concentrating on planning and administering programs in accident prevention, safety and health and hygiene for nearly 10,000 employees. Mattiford received the BS degree in environmental science from West Chester University, West Chester, Pennsylvania. He is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), the Delaware Section of the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F18 Committee and the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Safety and Health Committee.